Diabetic nephropathy is a type of progressive kidney disease that can occur in people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys, affecting their ability to filter waste and excess fluid from the blood.
The risk of developing diabetic nephropathy increases with:
Diabetes is also the most common cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). ESRD is the fifth and final stage of diabetic nephropathy, when the kidneys can no longer function adequately without dialysis or a transplant.
The condition usually progresses slowly, and the encouraging news is that early diagnosis and proper treatment can slow down or even halt this progression. Not everyone with diabetes will develop diabetic nephropathy, and not everyone who develops it will go on to kidney failure or ESRD.
In the early stages, diabetic nephropathy often has no obvious symptoms. Many people feel completely normal while silent damage is occurring in the kidneys. Symptoms typically appear in the later stages of chronic kidney disease and may include:
Because early kidney damage is usually symptomless, regular check-ups and urine/blood tests are essential for people living with diabetes.
At World Diabetes Centre (WDC), we focus on:
Our goal is to identify kidney involvement as early as possible, guide you with lifestyle and medical management, and help you preserve your kidney function for as long as possible, so you can live a healthier, more confident life with diabetes.